The present application relates to laundry detergent compositions which compose one or more high molecular weight polyamines which provide enhanced fabric appearance benefits. The high molecular weight polyamines of the present invention which mitigate fabric damage and improve fabric appearance are combined with detersive surfactants and optionally a bleaching system for use in high and low density granular, heavy duty and light duty liquids, as well as laundry bar detergent compositions.
Formulators of fabric care and laundry detergent compositions include various ingredients, inter alia surfactants, cationic softening actives, anti-static agents dye transfer inhibitors, and bleach-damage mitigating agents, for the purpose of improving cleaning, fabric appearance, fabric feel, fabric color and to extend the duration of fabric life. Ingredients which are added to the compositions must not only provide a benefit, but must be compatible with a variety of product forms, i.c. high density granules, liquid dispersions, isotropic liquids including clear, colorless/translucent liquids which may include principal solvents inter alia 1,2-hexanediol, 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol (TNPD).
Color integrity is an important aspect of fabric enhancement. In addition, thoroughness of cleaning is of primary importance to the consumer.
Consumers use bleach-containing compositions when washing colored fabric as well as white fabric because the use of a bleaching material satisfies the consumers need to feel that the fabric has been xe2x80x9cthoroughly cleanedxe2x80x9d. Therefore, there is a long felt need to provide colored fabric with protection against the pejorative effects of laundry-added bleaching materials and to protect fabric itself from the mechanical damage done to fabric through wear and the wash cycle. In addition, there is a need for these protective materials to be highly water soluble or water dispersible, while exhibiting a high degree of fabric substantivity. And there is also a need for a bleach-damage and/or fabric enhancement material which will provide a high level of fabric protection on an efficient per unit weight basis.
The present invention meets the aforementioned needs in that it has been surprisingly discovered that high molecular weight polyalkyleneimines, preferably polyethyleneimines, having a molecular weight of at least about 5200 daltons, are suitable for use in high and low density granular, heavy duty and light duty liquids, as well as laundry bar detergent compositions to provide fabric appearance benefits inter alia mitigation of fabric damage via bleaching agents, prevention of fabric mechanical damage.
A first aspect of the present invention which relates to laundry detergent compositions comprising:
a) from about 0.01% by weight, of a polyalkyleneimine having the formula: 
wherein R is C2-C4 linear alkylene, C3-C4 branched alkylene, and mixtures thereof; B is a continuation of said polyalkyleneimine by branching; w is equal to y+1; x is an integer of from about 50 to about 2500; y is an integer of from about 20 to about 1000;
b) from about 0.01% by weight, of a detersive surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, cationic, nonionic, zwitterionic, ampholytic surfactants, and mixtures thereof; and
c) the balance carriers and adjunct ingredients.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to laundry detergent compositions which comprise a bleaching system and the herein described polymers.
These and other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description and the appended claims. All percentages, ratios and proportions herein are by weight, unless otherwise specified. All temperatures are in degrees Celsius (xc2x0C.) unless otherwise specified. All documents cited are in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference.